Volkswagen ID.4 Photos Leak
What appear to be official photos of a red Volkswagen ID.4 have leaked on the VWIDTalk forum. This follows an earlier leak we mentioned of photos of a white ID.4.
I think there’s no doubt about it — it’s an attractive looking electric crossover.
Update: Also see: Volkswagen ID.4 Production Starts In Zwickau (Video)
The vehicle continues current Volkswagen style enough to appeal to the millions of current Volkswagen drivers who would likely love to upgrade to a better, newer Volkswagen. It also incorporates Volkswagen’s subtle, fresh ID design language.
Not clear on who took the photos, I’m not sharing them here, but you can find them at the link above. However, here are some recent official photos from Volkswagen with “camouflage” and blue coloring:
An attractive design is a prerequisite to success. It’s critical. However, we all know that other matters will determine if the ID.4, or any other vehicle, is a smashing success.
We’re still waiting on many official figures, but based on what the ID.3 offers and its pricing, I think we can solidly say the following, which is what matters most in the end:
- The ID.4 will have enough range (for almost any buyer).
- The ID.4 will have a mass-market price, and an even more mass-market cost. It won’t be the cheapest vehicle on the market, but it will be at a price point that many buyers are considering.
- The ID.4 will be one of the best — if not the best — crossover at its price point. Tesla fans (and I am unabashedly one) are going to be keen to point to the benefits of a Tesla Model Y, but the ID.4 is likely to have the opportunity to undersell the Model Y by a few thousand dollars or a few thousand euros, which is going to be enough of a difference for various buyers. In the US, the ID.4 will also qualify for the $7,500 US federal tax credit, which Tesla buyers can no longer get. That is a sizable chunk of cash that will make the difference for many.
- The ID.4 is going to be fun! You don’t have to go 0–60 mph in 1.1 seconds, or even 3.4 seconds, to have fun. The instant torque of a Nissan LEAF is fun! The ID.4 won’t have the roller coaster acceleration of a Tesla Model Y Performance, but for normal driving and people who are not obsessed with acceleration, it will be more than plenty and will offer a lot of fun if the driver chooses to take advantage of it.
Those are 4 big reasons that I think Volkswagen will sell a good number of ID.4 crossovers. If the company can get its dealer network on board in the US, I think it could even sell a lot of these here. Furthermore, Volkswagen has a pretty small portion of the auto market in the US — nothing like its strength in Europe — and I think a good marketing push for the ID.4 could lead to Volkswagen gaining a solid portion of auto market share. It won’t necessarily be easy, but if Volkswagen tries hard and can bring the benefits of electricity to more conventional buyers’ minds, it could become a bigger player in America. (Volkswagen, just be sure to remind Americans that the ID.4 is built in Tennessee.)
When we get more details on the ID.4, I’ll enthusiastically dive into comparisons with popular gasoline crossovers in its class — cost of ownership comparisons along with feature comparisons, as I’ve done with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. If you have any special requests for features, specs, or models you want to see compared, let us know.
The ID.4 is still supposed to hit dealer showrooms by the end of this year, 2020, in Europe, and dealers in the US in 2021 (but US production begins in 2022). Here are the details we have right now from Volkswagen:
“With its high-energy battery pack in the floor, the ID.4 wraps a highly aerodynamic exterior around an open-space interior, with a cockpit controlled by touch or voice interactions. The ID.4 is anticipated to launch in a sporty rear-wheel-drive configuration, with a powerful, all-wheel-drive two-motor variation to come soon thereafter. Based on preliminary manufacturer estimates under the EPA test cycle, the ID.4 is expected to offer more than 250 miles of range, along with high levels of innovative technologies and connectivity.
“When produced at the Zwickau plant, the ID.4 is expected to be carbon-neutral along its value chain. In 2022, the ID.4 will also go into production in America, at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant.”
Related Stories:
- After 116 Years, Volkswagen’s Zwickau Factory Produced Its Last Fossil Fuel Vehicle Today
- Volkswagen: Building EVs In America Begins With Engineering EVs In Chattanooga
- Volkswagen Increases 2023 & 2025 ID Production Targets
- 19× More Invested In EVs & EV Batteries In Europe Last Year Than In 2018
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